


Phantasmagoria

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Halloween, Season/Series 06
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:28:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26858218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: When Erin and Doctor Reid end up at the same Halloween event, she wonders just how the evening will end.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Phantasmagoria

There was definitely a slight nip to the air, Erin thought as she shivered and wrapped her coat around her body a little tighter. She hadn't really wanted to go to this event in the first place, but Karen had convinced her to purchase the tickets before she knew that it would be something she wouldn't feel comfortable with her daughter seeing, especially not when things were so precarious with regards to her custody agreement with Alan. Still, she hadn't wanted to waste the entire cost of the tickets, and had decided to head there herself.

"I still can't believe that you're going to go without me, Mom! We've watched more graphic movies together on tv!"

"When your father overheard that you were going, I had to do damage control, Karen. You're fifteen, and therefore, still a little young in his eyes. I fought so hard to have shared custody of you all, that I was not about to let something like this put that in jeopardy. I promise, once you're seventeen, if this comes to the area again, we'll go together. All right?"

Her daughter's face fell, and Erin wondered if she had revealed too much. She had tried to keep the more contentious bits of the divorce away from her children, as she didn't want to influence them in either direction, keeping tight control of her tongue so as not to criticize Alan. Until this moment. "Dad just doesn't get it. You would never do anything that would hurt me. You know, I am fifteen. I am old enough to choose who I live with."

"And you still need to be a leader for Bruce and Tabitha. I'm sorry, but that's what older siblings are for. I just want you all in my life. I know I've made mistakes, and that the line I have to walk is so fine and tight. Please, forgive me for this."

She pursed her lips together tightly, not wanting her daughter to see her break down in tears. Karen sighed as she stepped closer to her, and Erin welcomed the tight hug her daughter gave her. "I'm just being a bitch, Mama. I'm sorry. I just wanted to do something with you and only you."

"We'll carve out time for just us two on your next weekend with me, I promise. Now, I need to get off the porch and into my car so I'm not late. And I promise, I will tell you all about it in the morning." Erin turned her head and kissed Karen's cheek before stepping away from her daughter and going down the stairs until she reached the driveway. Karen waved to her halfheartedly, and Erin waggled her fingers at her before slipping behind the wheel of her car and backing out of the drive.

It didn't take long to arrive at the theatre where the phantasmagoria was being performed, and she parked close to the entrance, so that she could more easily leave after the show. After locking the door, Erin headed inside the theatre and handed her ticket over to the usher, allowing him to guide her to her seat. Since the seat next to her would have been Karen's, Erin decided to place her things on it, so that they would be close at hand, just in case. The space was much smaller than she had expected, which made her shiver again, a draft blowing through the room. "You're allowing yourself to be susceptible to your fears, Erin. There is nothing to be frightened of," she said lowly as she took a few deep breaths and tried to center herself.

"Oh, I think that there will be plenty to be frightened of, ma'am." She turned her head to see Doctor Reid taking a seat next to her. "Though if this were a true phantasmagoria, we'd have been served some absinthe, or something like it, to put us in the right frame of mind for extreme terror. I still can't believe that no one else wanted to take me up on my extra ticket!"

His voice thrummed with excitement, and she stared at him, blinking rapidly as she tried to comprehend what he was saying. "You want to be scared?"

"Yes. There's a thrill that comes with terror, especially terror that you know won't hurt you in the end. Are you expecting someone to join you?" he asked, his voice curious, but respectful.

"My daughter was the one who convinced me to purchase these tickets, but seeing as how it was a show not really meant for minors, her father felt it best that she not come, and since I don't really have as much of a say in his decisions any longer, I had to agree." Doctor Reid's face took on a concerned look, one that she didn't want to acknowledge, and she gave him a small shake of her head as she turned her attention to the stage once more. "I hope that this isn't too sinister, as I don't care for things that creep beneath my skin and linger in the dark corners of my mind."

"I haven't been to one in a few years, but usually it's pretty tame."

She gave him a tight nod as the rest of the audience filled the remaining chairs and the lights began to dim until it was pitch black, and she would have been hard pressed to make out her hand two inches in front of her eyes. That was her first indication that perhaps this was going to be more than she had bargained for, and she slipped her hands onto her knees and dug her fingers into the sides of her legs as she waited for the show to begin. It didn't start in a manner that she was expecting, and rather than seeing any movement or images, an offkey moaning started to fill the space. Erin's spine stiffened as she sat up a little straighter in her seat and fought the urge to look around the room in a panic. There was just something about the sounds that was filling her with a sense of dread, and she hadn't felt that way in a number of years. Not since that case in Milwaukee, and she had looked at those pictures and then stepped on that woman's hair.

Something about her must have drawn Doctor Reid's attention, though, as he slid his hand over and covered her right hand with his large one, holding on lightly as the show began to get under way. It was truly more terrifying than she had been expecting, and without thinking, she turned her hand over and grabbed hold of Doctor Reid's, squeezing tightly whenever she became too scared. He never pulled his hand back or shook it in an effort to loosen her grip, something that she was grateful for as things went on. Finally, almost two hours after it began, the show was over, and Erin found herself unable to get up from her seat as she tried to shake the images she had seen from her mind.

"Do you want to grab a cup of coffee and decompress with me? I have the feeling that this was a little more intense than you were expecting."

Turning her head, she gave him a small, tight, nod, allowing him to help her to her feet and into her coat before they made their way out into the lobby. It seemed that she wasn't the only person so strongly affected, as she noticed quite a few pale faces amidst the crowd. "Where should I meet you?"

"Well, I actually took a cab here, would you mind giving me a ride?"

There was a part of Erin that wanted to say no, but if he was being kind enough to try and calm her after that experience, well, how could she say no? "That would be fine, Doctor Reid. Follow me." Erin headed towards the door, trying to keep her posture as perfect as possible, not wanting to let anyone know just how bothered she still was by the lingering dread that remained in her mind. Unexpectedly, he took hold of her hand and held onto it lightly as they went over to her car.

"JJ was supposed to come with me to see this," he blurted out as he climbed into the passenger seat of her car, and she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control her vacillating emotions, not wanting him to see the truth on her face as she slid behind the wheel. Erin slowly fastened her seatbelt as she tried to think of a way to answer his unspoken accusation.

"I wish that I a better answer for you, Doctor Reid…"

"Spencer. We're not in the office."

She nodded as she started her car, pulling out of her space and heading towards her favorite coffee house, knowing that it would still be open, even though it was nearly eleven. "Spencer, then. I tried to get her to see that being headhunted by the State Department was a great opportunity, so that she could be home with Henry more often. I knew that that wouldn't change her mind, but I had to try and get her to see that. And before you say anything, when you have the Directors of the FBI and the State Department breathing down your neck, telling you that your job is on the line, you will do anything to get someone to see reason. And then, it really fell out of my hands, as the Director ordered Agent Hotchner to have her take the position."

"I see."

There was still a lot of derision in his voice, even with two words, and she let out as quiet a sigh as she possibly could, not wanting to let him know how much he was affecting her already off kilter mood. "So, since you're the smartest one in the car, tell me something that I do not know."

There was a short pause, and Erin knew that she had thrown him off his game. "Absinthe is widely believed to be illegal in the United States to this day, even though that law was repealed in 2007, nearly one hundred years after it was passed. It is still a potent alcohol, and seeing the green fairy can still be achieved if enough of the alcohol is drunk. Sadly, that is a pleasure I cannot indulge in."

Erin knew that he was referring to his battle with addiction, and she nodded, trying not to think about her own battle with alcohol. There were things that she didn't talk about with anyone, not even someone who had seen her in a vulnerable position. "I prefer gin, anyway."

"That does seem to be something that you would like, yes. Straight gin or botanicals?"

"Rose infused gin is delicious, and goes down a little too smooth at times." Erin mentally kicked herself for slipping up in front of him, coughing lightly as she turned into the parking lot for the coffee shop. "Well, here we are."

He nodded and got out of her car and before she knew it, Doctor Reid was standing at her door, opening it for her and holding out his hand expectantly. Frowning a little, Erin took hold of the outstretched hand and allowed him to help her out of the vehicle before she locked it and they went into the shop together. Erin smiled to herself as he opened the door for her, knowing that it was an ingrained habit for him, since it was so smooth. "What would you like?"

Erin looked at the baristas there, smiling to see that her usual one was on shift. Meeting his eye, she gave him a small nod before looking up at Doctor Reid. "My barista will be making my usual, so feel free to order what you'd like." She pulled a twenty out of her purse and handed it to him. "This should cover both drinks and a tip. I'll find my usual table."

Doctor Reid gave her a small nod, and Erin moved out of his sight, making a beeline for her usual table and taking a seat before pulling out her mobile and texting Karen. _I'm sorry, sweetie, I thought I'd be home before this, but it ran longer than I thought, and I decided to get a cup of coffee with a colleague that I ran into at the performance. I'll see you in the morning, and then I'll fill you in on the show. I love you, Mom_

After pressing send on the message, Erin slipped the phone back into her purse and waited for…Spencer to come to the table. Since it was rather slow, she knew that their drinks would be soon made, unless he drank something ridiculously complicated. "I also bought us muffins. Don't worry, I made certain to leave a generous tip."

She nodded a little as she watched him set the plates down in front of them on the table before taking a seat across from her. "That was kind of you, thank you," she said as she looked at the two muffins. Thankfully, both were blueberry and so she pulled the smaller of the two closer to her and peeled the top off, setting it aside to eat last. Picking up her coffee, she took a long sip before looking into his eyes once more. "I know, instinctively, that none of that was real. However, I was unable to view it through a clinical lens. And I'm still, even now, slightly off kilter."

"I was like that when I saw my first phantasmagoria. Thankfully, Mom was in one of her lucid phases when I got home and was able to talk to me until I was able to shake off the lingering unease. It's surprising how effective old fashioned technology can be at utterly terrifying even the most unflappable of people."

She nodded as she flaked off a piece of the muffin, chewing it a little before swallowing and taking a deep breath. "If only it were that simple. Though I am glad that I didn't bring Karen to this, as she would have been affected stronger than I was. She's a sensitive, brilliant, girl, reminds me a little of you, though not so scary smart."

He cocked his head to one side, clearly appraising her, and Erin wondered if she measured up in any way. Seeing as how she was the one who had stolen his best friend from him, she had the feeling that she never would come up to scratch. "You have to guide the sensitive souls. I was alone far too soon in life, and even though everyone, including myself, thought I could handle it, I soon learned that was not the case."

Erin was surprised at the openness in him, and she gave him a small nod as she wrapped her hand around her mug, letting the warmth bleed into her suddenly freezing body. "It is difficult to be self sufficient at an early age. But it seems like a burden that a lot of only children take on." He gave her a smile of understanding, which she returned, finding a little of her unease melting at their shared experience. "I wonder what life would have been like if I had had a sibling."

"I often wondered the same, which was why I had three children. I didn't want my oldest to go through life like I did. Though it's a little easier these days, since technology has made such leaps and bounds lately." That seemed to be the right thing to say, as they were soon falling into a conversation that she didn't want to see end.

"I'm sorry, Erin, but…we closed ten minutes ago, and Lynne has a band competition tomorrow morning."

Looking at her watch, she let out a little gasp of horror. "I am so sorry, Becky! We'll get out of your hair now. Here, take this and split it with Lynne for the trouble." She rummaged around in her purse before pulling out another twenty, giving it to her barista, who frowned a little. "Don't look at me like that. I know that you despise people who stay late like this."

"Only if they're not good tippers and are courteous, which you are. But I suppose that I can't give this back, can I?" Erin shook her head before getting to her feet. "All right, but don't be surprised if your next coffee is free. Have a good weekend."

"You, too. And tell Lynne good luck from me."

Becky nodded and then, to Erin's surprise, Spencer was taking hold of her hand once more as they left the coffee shop. "You have a kinder heart than you let on at work."

Erin's eyes filled with tears at those words, even though she knew that he wasn't being mean with his observation, and she tried to blink them back as she went to her car, walking at a fast clip. It only took a moment for Doctor Reid to catch up to her, and then he reached out and took hold of her shoulder. It wasn't a firm grip, just enough to get her attention, and she looked up at him, knowing that she didn't have enough time to allow her mask to slam into place. And so he saw the raw pain in her eyes before she finally was able to put that mask on. "I have to be who I am there, because you are not respected when you're emotional. And maybe that has made me harder than I would like, but that's the way it has to be."

He frowned a little before shaking his head and slipping his hand up from her shoulder to cup her cheek, his thumb running back and forth as he continued to stare into her face. Erin frowned in return as she returned the stare, feeling more and more discombobulated as the look lingered on. A weird feeling passed through her as she watched him lower his face until she could feel his breath wash over her skin and then he was kissing her. Erin knew that she shouldn't be allowing this, that he was her subordinate, but it felt so lovely to have a kind embrace after eight months separated from her ex-husband. Unconsciously, she snaked her arm around Spencer's neck and held him in place as the kiss deepened, and then her back was hitting the cool metal of her car.

Gasping a little, she pulled her face away and gazed up at him once more, seeing how his pupils were dilated with desire. "I, I think that we should head home."

"You could drop me off at the subway station by the theatre. Unless you want to talk some more."

"Talk or kiss? Because I have my children at home, and I know that Alan would use this against me if one of them accidentally said something about my having a much younger man show up at the breakfast table in the morning. I have to be very careful and circumspect, Sp-spencer."

She hated the fact that she stumbled over his name, but from the way that he smiled at her, she had the feeling that it had somehow endeared her to him. "Then another kiss before we part." Before she could protest, he was capturing her lips in a tender kiss. "And perhaps, next weekend, we could have coffee and talk a little more. I've found that I like talking to you."

"I like talking with you as well." She gave him a fleeting smile, anticipating the next kiss when it came. It was just as tender as the first two had been, and she wondered if that gentleness would extend to the bedroom. Even though it was madness, she knew that they had made a connection, and it was one that she was loathe to give up after finding it so soon. "Now, let's get you home before I allow the madness of the phantasmagoria to overtake me and talk me into something that will cause trouble for me in the long run." He nodded before kissing her once more, in the middle of her forehead this time, and she let out a deep sigh as she unlocked the car and reached for the door handle, knowing that if she didn't, she would spend hours kissing him in the parking lot. And she hoped that come next Saturday, they would be able to talk and perhaps kiss once more.


End file.
